Pension Locomotion

Hot water and a good shower temperature, plus a strong heater that dried our stinky ski gear overnight. It’s about a 15-minute walk to anywhere in town, and especially good value on powder days. No doubt I’ll stay again.

We were lucky to find this affordable place for Christmas after booking late, and I’m so glad we did. I’ll be back next month. Our western maisonette fit four adults comfortably, with one bed in an upper “nook”. Breakfast came from a different menu each morning. The snowy walk to bars and restaurants took around 6-10 minutes and was easy, pretty, and pleasant. The owner was flexible when I couldn’t change my Expedia reservation myself, and worked directly with me to sort it out. Communication was great since they speak a decent amount of English. The storage room and wet room were excellent for our ski gear and for coming in and out. This bed and breakfast exceeded what we expected and has a lot of charm.

For what we paid, we were very satisfied with the accommodation. The one issue was the heater in the dry room seemed barely on, so our ski boots stayed very cold and a bit damp.

The Ohkoshis are welcoming, friendly owners, and they speak English. This family-run pension is on a quiet back road, only a few minutes’ walk from Hirafu’s main road. There are family rooms and twin rooms, plus a dining room, recreation room, ski room, and laundry. The rec room has a fridge and microwave too. I’d definitely stay again.